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Garcia looks to revitalize dormant career

It shouldn’t have been like this. Not after the boxing clinic Danny Garcia put on the favored Lucas Matthysse on Sept. 14, 2013.
The fight was good – so good it eclipsed the main event (Floyd Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez) in terms of action.

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Garcia looks to revitalize dormant career

Matthew Aguilar, Special to the Times
Published 2:45 p.m. MT Jan. 23, 2016

It shouldn’t have been like this. Not after the boxing clinic Danny Garcia put on the favored Lucas Matthysse on Sept. 14, 2013.

The fight was good – so good it eclipsed the main event (Floyd Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez) in terms of action. And Garcia appeared poised for superstardom after dropping Matthysse, earning a unanimous decision and recognition as the world’s best junior welterweight. Afterward, Garcia’s father, the outspoken Angel, bellowed: “Show me the billions!” A showdown with Mayweather seemed realistic.

Almost two-and-a-half years later, Garcia isn’t close to the stardom that seemed within his grasp. The Mayweather fight never happened, he has often struggled against stiff competition, and the public has all but forgotten about him. He’ll try to revitalize his lost career when he meets veteran Robert Guerrero for the vacant WBC welterweight title at the Staples Center in Los Angeles (6 p.m., Saturday, FOX).

Ghost of a chance

Garcia’s career began its strange dip six months after the Matthysse fight, when “Swift” received what many consider a gift decision over Mauricio Herrera. Garcia, 31-0 (18 KO’s), Philadelphia, was often outhustled by the plucky Herrera, but received the majority nod. Five months later he fought the overmatched Rod Salka (KO 2) in a fight that was relentlessly criticized by fans.

Last April, Garcia squeaked by again, earning a majority decision over former champ Lamont Peterson in a competitive fight that could’ve gone either way. And, in August, he stopped the tired Paulie Malignaggi in nine.

Between the close decisions over Herrera and Peterson, the predictable stoppage of Malignaggi and the meaningless stoppage of Salka – Garcia has lost the career momentum built with victories over Erik Morales (12-round decision and fourth-round knockout), Amir Khan (TKO 4) and Matthysse. Now, with a jump up seven pounds to welterweight, you have to wonder if Garcia can ever get it back.

Guerrero, 33-3-1 (18 KO’s), has held titles at 130, 135 and 147. An impressive 2012 decision over Andre Berto earned him a shot at Mayweather in 2013, which he lost by wide decision. Last March, he dropped another comprehensive decision to undefeated Keith Thurman, which seemed to mark the beginning of the end for “The Ghost” from Gilroy, Calif. After a spirited effort that saw Guerrero extend and sometimes hurt the bigger, stronger Thurman, it was obvious after a ninth-round knockdown that he was on the decline.

An unexpectedly close split decision over Aaron Martinez in June – some would say lucky after Guerrero suffered a fourth-round knockdown – seemed to reiterate that the Ghost’s best days are behind him.

But, proud former champions often have one more special effort left in them. Guerrero could be motivated by the fact that he and Garcia are quite chummy. He’s seen him, he knows him, and he’s familiar with him.

Still, it’s hard to imagine the 32-year-old Guerrero turning back the clock. He’s five years older, and he’s smaller (a natural junior lightweight). Garcia, despite his recent woes, remains just outside the top 10 pound-for-pound.

After an entertaining war, look for Swift to put the finishing touches on the Ghost’s career.